Classifications

• • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
  • C08—ORGANIC MACROMOLECULAR COMPOUNDS; THEIR PREPARATION OR CHEMICAL WORKING-UP; COMPOSITIONS BASED THEREON
  • C08F—MACROMOLECULAR COMPOUNDS OBTAINED BY REACTIONS ONLY INVOLVING CARBON-TO-CARBON UNSATURATED BONDS
  • C08F210/00—Copolymers of unsaturated aliphatic hydrocarbons having only one carbon-to-carbon double bond
  • C08F210/16—Copolymers of ethene with alpha-alkenes, e.g. EP rubbers
• • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
  • C08—ORGANIC MACROMOLECULAR COMPOUNDS; THEIR PREPARATION OR CHEMICAL WORKING-UP; COMPOSITIONS BASED THEREON
  • C08F—MACROMOLECULAR COMPOUNDS OBTAINED BY REACTIONS ONLY INVOLVING CARBON-TO-CARBON UNSATURATED BONDS
  • C08F10/00—Homopolymers and copolymers of unsaturated aliphatic hydrocarbons having only one carbon-to-carbon double bond
  • C08F10/04—Monomers containing three or four carbon atoms
  • C08F10/06—Propene
• • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
  • C08—ORGANIC MACROMOLECULAR COMPOUNDS; THEIR PREPARATION OR CHEMICAL WORKING-UP; COMPOSITIONS BASED THEREON
  • C08F—MACROMOLECULAR COMPOUNDS OBTAINED BY REACTIONS ONLY INVOLVING CARBON-TO-CARBON UNSATURATED BONDS
  • C08F210/00—Copolymers of unsaturated aliphatic hydrocarbons having only one carbon-to-carbon double bond
  • C08F210/04—Monomers containing three or four carbon atoms
  • C08F210/06—Propene
• • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
  • C08—ORGANIC MACROMOLECULAR COMPOUNDS; THEIR PREPARATION OR CHEMICAL WORKING-UP; COMPOSITIONS BASED THEREON
  • C08F—MACROMOLECULAR COMPOUNDS OBTAINED BY REACTIONS ONLY INVOLVING CARBON-TO-CARBON UNSATURATED BONDS
  • C08F4/00—Polymerisation catalysts
  • C08F4/42—Metals; Metal hydrides; Metallo-organic compounds; Use thereof as catalyst precursors
  • C08F4/44—Metals; Metal hydrides; Metallo-organic compounds; Use thereof as catalyst precursors selected from light metals, zinc, cadmium, mercury, copper, silver, gold, boron, gallium, indium, thallium, rare earths or actinides
  • C08F4/60—Metals; Metal hydrides; Metallo-organic compounds; Use thereof as catalyst precursors selected from light metals, zinc, cadmium, mercury, copper, silver, gold, boron, gallium, indium, thallium, rare earths or actinides together with refractory metals, iron group metals, platinum group metals, manganese, rhenium technetium or compounds thereof
  • C08F4/62—Refractory metals or compounds thereof
  • C08F4/64—Titanium, zirconium, hafnium or compounds thereof
  • C08F4/659—Component covered by group C08F4/64 containing a transition metal-carbon bond
  • C08F4/6592—Component covered by group C08F4/64 containing a transition metal-carbon bond containing at least one cyclopentadienyl ring, condensed or not, e.g. an indenyl or a fluorenyl ring
  • C08F4/65922—Component covered by group C08F4/64 containing a transition metal-carbon bond containing at least one cyclopentadienyl ring, condensed or not, e.g. an indenyl or a fluorenyl ring containing at least two cyclopentadienyl rings, fused or not
  • C08F4/65927—Component covered by group C08F4/64 containing a transition metal-carbon bond containing at least one cyclopentadienyl ring, condensed or not, e.g. an indenyl or a fluorenyl ring containing at least two cyclopentadienyl rings, fused or not two cyclopentadienyl rings being mutually bridged
• • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
  • C08—ORGANIC MACROMOLECULAR COMPOUNDS; THEIR PREPARATION OR CHEMICAL WORKING-UP; COMPOSITIONS BASED THEREON
  • C08F—MACROMOLECULAR COMPOUNDS OBTAINED BY REACTIONS ONLY INVOLVING CARBON-TO-CARBON UNSATURATED BONDS
  • C08F4/00—Polymerisation catalysts
  • C08F4/42—Metals; Metal hydrides; Metallo-organic compounds; Use thereof as catalyst precursors
  • C08F4/44—Metals; Metal hydrides; Metallo-organic compounds; Use thereof as catalyst precursors selected from light metals, zinc, cadmium, mercury, copper, silver, gold, boron, gallium, indium, thallium, rare earths or actinides
  • C08F4/60—Metals; Metal hydrides; Metallo-organic compounds; Use thereof as catalyst precursors selected from light metals, zinc, cadmium, mercury, copper, silver, gold, boron, gallium, indium, thallium, rare earths or actinides together with refractory metals, iron group metals, platinum group metals, manganese, rhenium technetium or compounds thereof
  • C08F4/62—Refractory metals or compounds thereof
  • C08F4/64—Titanium, zirconium, hafnium or compounds thereof
  • C08F4/659—Component covered by group C08F4/64 containing a transition metal-carbon bond
  • C08F4/65904—Component covered by group C08F4/64 containing a transition metal-carbon bond in combination with another component of C08F4/64
• • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
  • C08—ORGANIC MACROMOLECULAR COMPOUNDS; THEIR PREPARATION OR CHEMICAL WORKING-UP; COMPOSITIONS BASED THEREON
  • C08F—MACROMOLECULAR COMPOUNDS OBTAINED BY REACTIONS ONLY INVOLVING CARBON-TO-CARBON UNSATURATED BONDS
  • C08F4/00—Polymerisation catalysts
  • C08F4/42—Metals; Metal hydrides; Metallo-organic compounds; Use thereof as catalyst precursors
  • C08F4/44—Metals; Metal hydrides; Metallo-organic compounds; Use thereof as catalyst precursors selected from light metals, zinc, cadmium, mercury, copper, silver, gold, boron, gallium, indium, thallium, rare earths or actinides
  • C08F4/60—Metals; Metal hydrides; Metallo-organic compounds; Use thereof as catalyst precursors selected from light metals, zinc, cadmium, mercury, copper, silver, gold, boron, gallium, indium, thallium, rare earths or actinides together with refractory metals, iron group metals, platinum group metals, manganese, rhenium technetium or compounds thereof
  • C08F4/62—Refractory metals or compounds thereof
  • C08F4/64—Titanium, zirconium, hafnium or compounds thereof
  • C08F4/659—Component covered by group C08F4/64 containing a transition metal-carbon bond
  • C08F4/65908—Component covered by group C08F4/64 containing a transition metal-carbon bond in combination with an ionising compound other than alumoxane, e.g. (C6F5)4B-X+
• • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
  • C08—ORGANIC MACROMOLECULAR COMPOUNDS; THEIR PREPARATION OR CHEMICAL WORKING-UP; COMPOSITIONS BASED THEREON
  • C08F—MACROMOLECULAR COMPOUNDS OBTAINED BY REACTIONS ONLY INVOLVING CARBON-TO-CARBON UNSATURATED BONDS
  • C08F4/00—Polymerisation catalysts
  • C08F4/42—Metals; Metal hydrides; Metallo-organic compounds; Use thereof as catalyst precursors
  • C08F4/44—Metals; Metal hydrides; Metallo-organic compounds; Use thereof as catalyst precursors selected from light metals, zinc, cadmium, mercury, copper, silver, gold, boron, gallium, indium, thallium, rare earths or actinides
  • C08F4/60—Metals; Metal hydrides; Metallo-organic compounds; Use thereof as catalyst precursors selected from light metals, zinc, cadmium, mercury, copper, silver, gold, boron, gallium, indium, thallium, rare earths or actinides together with refractory metals, iron group metals, platinum group metals, manganese, rhenium technetium or compounds thereof
  • C08F4/62—Refractory metals or compounds thereof
  • C08F4/64—Titanium, zirconium, hafnium or compounds thereof
  • C08F4/659—Component covered by group C08F4/64 containing a transition metal-carbon bond
  • C08F4/65912—Component covered by group C08F4/64 containing a transition metal-carbon bond in combination with an organoaluminium compound
• • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
  • Y10—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
  • Y10S—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
  • Y10S526/00—Synthetic resins or natural rubbers -- part of the class 520 series
  • Y10S526/943—Polymerization with metallocene catalysts

Definitions

• the present invention relates to processes for making gel-free, diene-free, branched semi-crystalline high-C 3 ethylene-propylene compositions, and especially high-C 3 ethylene-propylene compositions utilizing single site catalyst compounds.
• the class of rubbery ethylene-propylene copolymers conventionally referred to as EPR polymers, is well known and has gained substantial commercial acceptance.
• the copolymers are known to have good properties such as weatherability, ozone resistance and thermal stability and the polymers have accepted utility in automotive applications, as construction materials and as wire and cable coatings, among others.
• conventional ethylene-propylene rubbery copolymers are often difficult to process unless compounded by relatively large amounts of other materials.
• EP 190 889 A2 discloses high energy irradiation of polypropylene to create what is believed to be polypropylene having substantial free-end long branches of propylene units.
• EP. 384 431 discloses the use of peroxide decomposition of polypropylene in the substantial absence of oxygen to obtain a similar product.
• long chain branched polypropylene examples include U.S. Patent 5,541,236 , which introduces long chain branching by bridging two PP backbones to form H-type polymers, and U.S. Patent 5514,761 , which uses dienes incorporated in the backbones to achieve a similar effect, However, it is difficult to avoid cross-linking and gel formation in such processes.
• WO97/01586 discloses elastic copolymers having a specified uniform branching coefficient.
• the catalyst system monocyclopentadienyl titanium as the transition metal component.
• US5705584 discloses polymerization processes using bridged bis indenyl zirconocenes as the transition metal component in the catalyst system but does not teach the combination of reactant ratio's and other conditions of the invention described hereinafter.
• the invention provides a process for producing a branched ethylene-propylene composition in continuous mode comprising:
• the present invention provides a process for producing gel-free, diene-free, branched EP.
• the branched EP product of the present invention is novel.
• the weight average branching index g' for the higher molecular weight region of the ethylene-propylene composition is less than 0.95.
• the weight average branching index g' for the higher molecular weight region of the ethylene-propylene composition is less than 0.90. More preferably, it is less than 0.85.
• An unusual feature of the branched ethylene-propylene of the present invention is the presence of a significant amount of branching in the higher molecular weight range of the polymer. This branching results in improved melt strength and shear thinning, as well as other unique physical properties.
• the amount of branching is determined using the weight average branching index g' of the branched ethylene-propylene.
• the ethylene-propylene polymers produced by the process of the invention of the present invention have a high propylene content, wherein a majority of the monomeric content of the polymer is propylene.
• the propylene content of the ethylene-propylene polymers is greater than 50%. More preferably, the propylene content of the ethylene-propylene polymers is in the range of 75 to 95%. Most preferably, the propylene content of the ethylene-propylene polymers is in the range of 80 to 90%.
• comonomers can be included in the branched ethylene-propylene of the present invention.
• these other comonomers include C 4 -C 20 ⁇ -olefins, geminally disubstituted monomers, C 5 -C 25 cyclic olefins, C 8 -C 25 styrenic olefins, and lower carbon number (C 3 -C 8 ) alkyl substituted analogs of the cyclic and styrenic olefins.
• the other comonomers comprise from 3 to 25 mole percent of the ethylene-propylene composition. More preferably, they comprise from 5 to 20 mole percent of the ethylene-propylene composition.
• the total comonomer content of the branched ethylene-propylene composition of the present invention is from 5 to 40 mole percent. More preferably, the total comonomer content is from 10 to 30 mole percent. Most preferably, the total comonomer content is from 15 to 25 mole percent.
• Preferred metallocenes are those that are stereorigid and comprise a bis-indenyl metallocene components having the following general structure:
• Halogen is fluorine, chlorine, bromine or iodine atoms, preferably fluorine or chlorine.
• Particularly preferred metallocenes are compounds of the structures: wherein:
• the chiral metallocenes may be used as a racemate for the preparation of highly isotactic polypropylene polymers and copolymers. It is also possible to use the pure R or S form. An optically active polymer can be prepared with these pure stereoisomeric forms. Preferably the meso form of the metallocene is removed to ensure the center (i.e., the metal atom) provides stereoregular polymerization. Separation of the stereoisomers can be accomplished by known literature techniques. For special products it is also possible to use rac/meso mixtures.
• Illustrative but non-limiting examples of some preferred metallocenes include: Dimethylsilanylbis (2-methyl-4-phenyl-1-indenyl)ZrCl 2 Dimethylsilanylbis(2-methyl-4,5-benzoindenyl)ZrCl 2 ; Dimethylsilanylbis(2-methyl-4,6-diisopropylindenyl)ZrCl 2 ; Dimethylsilanylbis(2-ethyl-4-phenyl-l-indenyl)ZrCI 2 ; Dimethylsilanylbis (2-ethyl-4-naphthyl-1-indenyl)ZrCl 2, Phenyl(Methyl)silanylbis(2-methyl-4-phenyl-1-indenyl)ZrCl 2 , Dimethylsilanylbis(2-methyl-4-(1-naphthyl)-1-indenyl)ZrCl 2 , Dimethylsilanylbis(2-
• the catalyst used to produce the branched ethylene-propylene of the present invention is a substituted bridged bis-indenyl zirconocene or hafnocene such as dimethylsilyl bis(2-methyl-indenyl) ZrCl 2 , dimethylsilyl bis(2-methyl-indenyl) ZrMe 2 , dimethylsilyl bis(2-methyl-4-phenyl-1-indenyl) ZrCl 2 , dimethylsilyl bis(2-methyl-4-(1-naphthyl)-1-indenyl) ZrCl 2 , or dimethylsilyl bis(indenyl)hafnium dimethyl.
• a substituted bridged bis-indenyl zirconocene or hafnocene such as dimethylsilyl bis(2-methyl-indenyl) ZrCl 2 , dimethylsilyl bis(2-methyl-indenyl) ZrMe 2 , dimethylsilyl bis(2-
• This invention uses ionizing activators, neutral or ionic, or compounds such as tri(n-butyl)ammonium tetrakis(pentaflurophenyl)boron, which ionize the neutral metallocene compound.
• ionizing compounds may contain an active proton, or some other cation associated with but not coordinated or only loosely coordinated to the remaining ion of the ionizing compound.
• ionic catalysts for coordination polymerization comprised of metallocene cations activated by non-coordinating anions appear in the early work in EP-A-0 277 003 , EP-A-0 277 004 and US patent 5,198,401 and WO-A-92/00333 . These teach a preferred method of preparation wherein metallocenes are protonated by an anion precursor such that an alkyl/hydride group is abstracted from a transition metal to make it both cationic and charge-balanced by the non-coordinating anion.
• noncoordinating anion means an anion which either does not coordinate to said cation or which is only weakly coordinated to said cation thereby remaining sufficiently labile to be displaced by a neutral Lewis base.
• “Compatible” noncoordinating anions are those which are not degraded to neutrality when the initially formed complex decomposes. Further, the anion will not transfer an anionic substituent or fragment to the cation so as to cause it to form a neutral four coordinate metallocene compound and a neutral by-product from the anion.
• Noncoordinating anions useful in accordance with this invention are those which are compatible, stabilize the metallocene cation in the sense of balancing its ionic charge in a +1 state, yet retain sufficient lability to permit displacement by an ethylenically or acetylenically unsaturated monomer during polymerization.
• ionizing ionic compounds not containing an active proton but capable of producing both the active metallocene cation and an noncoordinating anion is also known. See, EP-A-0 426 637 and EP-A- 0 573 403
• An additional method of making the ionic catalysts uses ionizing anion pre-cursors which are initially neutral Lewis acids but form the cation and anion upon ionizing reaction with the metallocene compounds, for example the use of tris(pentafluorophenyl) boron.
• Ionic catalysts for addition polymerization can also be prepared by oxidation of the metal centers of transition metal compounds by anion pre-cursors containing metallic oxidizing groups along with the anion groups, see EP-A-0 495 375 .
• metal ligands include halogen moieties (for example, bis-cyclopentadienyl zirconium dichloride) which are not capable of ionizing abstraction under standard conditions, they can be converted via known alkylation reactions with organometallic compounds such as lithium or aluminum hydrides or alkyls, alkylalumoxanes, Grignard reagents, etc. See EP-A-0 500 944 and EP-A1-0 570 982 (incorporated herein by reference) for in situ processes describing the reaction of alkyl aluminum compounds with dihalo-substituted metallocene compounds prior to or with the addition of activating anionic compounds.
• organometallic compounds such as lithium or aluminum hydrides or alkyls, alkylalumoxanes, Grignard reagents, etc.
• the metallocenes described herein may be supported using a porous particulate material, such as for example, talc, inorganic oxides, inorganic chlorides and resinous materials such as polyolefin or polymeric compounds.
• a porous particulate material such as for example, talc, inorganic oxides, inorganic chlorides and resinous materials such as polyolefin or polymeric compounds.
• Preferred support materials are porous inorganic oxide materials, which include those from the Periodic Table of Elements of Groups 2, 3, 4, 5, 13 or 14 metal oxides. Silica, alumina, silica-alumina, and mixtures thereof are particularly preferred. Other inorganic oxides that may be employed either alone or in combination with the silica, alumina or silica-alumina are magnesia, titania, zirconia, and the like.
• the support material is porous silica which has a surface area in the range of from about 10 to about 700 m 2 /g, a total pore volume in the range of from about 0.1 to about 4.0 cc/g and an average particle size in the range of from about 10 to about 500 ⁇ m. More preferably, the surface area is in the range of from about 50 to about 500 m 2 /g, the pore volume is in the range of from about 0.5 to about 3.5 cc/g and the average particle size is in the range of from about 20 to about 200 ⁇ m.
• the surface area is in the range of from about 100 to about 400 m 2 /g
• the pore volume is in the range of from about 0.8 to about 3.0 cc/g
• the average particle size is in the range of from about 30 to about 100 ⁇ m.
• the average pore size of typical porous support materials is ⁇ 10 ⁇ .
• a support material is used that has an average pore diameter of ⁇ 50 ⁇ , and most preferably it is in the range of from about 75 to about 350 ⁇ . It may be particularly desirable to dehydrate the silica at a temperature of from about 100°C to about 800°C anywhere from about 3 to about 24 hours.
• the metallocenes, activator and support material may be combined in any number of ways. Suitable support techniques are described in U. S Patent Nos. 4,808,561 and 4,701,432 (each fully incorporated herein by reference.) Preferably the metallocenes and activator are combined and their reaction product supported on the porous support material as described in U. S. Patent No. 5,240,894 and WO 94/ 28034 , WO 96/00243 , and WO 96/00245 (each fully incorporated herein by reference.) Alternatively, the metallocenes may be preactivated separately and then combined with the support material either separately or together. If the metallocenes are separately supported, then preferably, they are dried then combined as a powder before use in polymerization.
• the total volume of reaction solution applied to porous support is preferably less than about 4 times the total pore volume of the porous support, more preferably less than about 3 times the total pore volume of the porous support and even more preferably in the range of from more than about 1 to less than about 2.5 times the total pore volume of the porous support.
• Procedures for measuring the total pore volume of porous support are well known in the art. The preferred method is described in Volume 1, Experimental Methods in Catalyst Research, Academic Press, 1968, pages 67-96 .
• the methods generally comprise either physical adsorption on traditional polymeric or inorganic supports that have been largely dehydrated and dehydroxylated, or using neutral anion precursors that are sufficiently strong Lewis acids to activate retained hydroxy groups in silica containing inorganic oxide supports such that the Lewis acid becomes covalently bound and the hydrogen of the hydroxy group is available to protonate the metallocene compounds.
• the supported catalyst system may be used directly in polymerization or the catalyst system may be prepolymerized using methods well known in the art.
• prepolymerization see United States Patent Nos. 4,923,833 and 4,921,825 , EP 0 279 863 and EP 0 354 893 each of which is fully incorporated herein by reference.
• the process of the invention may employ the catalysts described above in any process including gas, slurry, suspension or solution phase processes. Additionally, combinations of the above reactor types in multiple, series reactors and/or multiple reaction conditions and/or multiple catalyst configurations are explicitly intended.
• this invention is directed toward the polymerization of ethylene and propylene in a slurry or solution phase polymerization process, particularly a solution polymerization process.
• a continuous cycle is employed wherein one part of the cycle of a reactor, a cycling gas stream, otherwise known as a recycle stream or fluidizing medium, is heated in the reactor by the heat of polymerization.
• the recycle stream usually contains one or more monomers continuously cycled through a fluidized bed in the presence of a catalyst under reactive conditions. This heat is removed in another part of the cycle by a cooling system external to the reactor.
• the recycle stream is withdrawn from the fluidized bed and recycled back into the reactor. Simultaneously, polymer product is withdrawn from the reactor and new or fresh monomer is added to replace the polymerized monomer.
• a slurry polymerization process generally uses pressures in the range of from about 1 to about 500 atmospheres or even greater and temperatures in the range of from -60°C to about 280°C.
• a suspension of solid, particulate polymer is formed in a liquid or supercritical polymerization medium to which ethylene, propylene and comonomers and often hydrogen along with catalyst are added.
• the medium employed should be liquid under the conditions of polymerization and relatively inert.
• the liquid employed in the polymerization medium can be an inert hydrocarbon solvent or diluent.
• an alkane or a cycloalkane such as hexane or isobutane can be used.
• hexane or propylene monomer serves as the polymerization diluent.
• the ethylene monomers, the propylene monomers and the inert hydrocarbon solvent or diluent comprise no more than 90 percent of the total contents of the reactor. More preferably, they comprise no more than 80 percent of the total contents of the reactor. Most preferably, the ethylene monomers, the propylene monomers and the inert hydrocarbon solvent or diluent comprise no more than 70 percent of the total contents of the reactor. In a preferred embodiment, the ethylene monomers, the propylene monomers and the inert hydrocarbon solvent or diluent comprise at least 50 percent of the total contents of the reactor.
• the ratio in the reactor of the ethylene and propylene monomers to the inert hydrocarbon solvent or diluent in the reactor feed is preferably less than 2.0. More preferably, the ratio is less than 1.0. Still more preferably, it is less than 0.8. Most preferably, the ratio in the reactor of the ethylene and propylene monomers to the inert hydrocarbon solvent or diluent in the reactor feed is less than 0.5.
• the polymerization is carried out using a pressure of from about 200 kPa to about 7,000 kPa at a temperature in the range of from about 50°C to about 180°C. More preferably, the polymerization is carried out at a temperature in the range of from about 50°C to about 130°C. Most preferably, the polymerization is carried out at a temperature in the range of from 60°C to 110°C.
• the polymerization is be conducted in continuous mode and the entire polymerization may take place in one reactor or the polymerization may be carried out in a series of reactors.
• reaction time for the polymerization of the present invention will depend upon the catalyst system and reaction conditions.
• Hydrogen may be added to the polymerization system as a molecular weight regulator in the first and/or subsequent reactors depending upon the particular properties of the product desired and the specific metallocenes used. When metallocenes having different hydrogen responses are used, the addition of hydrogen will affect the molecular weight distribution of the polymer product accordingly. Hydrogen may also affect the distribution of branching.
• preactivation of the metallocene may be advantageous.
• preactivation of the metallocene with alumoxane before addition to a continuous solution-phase reactor yields higher activities than continuous addition of metallocene and activator in two separate streams.
• the branched ethylene-propylene polymers produced by the process of the present invention exhibit improved melt properties, such as shear thinning, elasticity, melt strength and low viscosity.
• the branched ethylene-propylene polymers are useful in a variety of applications, including hot melt adhesives, elastic compositions, modifiers and molded products.
• Liquids were measured into the reactor feed tanks using calibrated sight glasses.
• High purity (>99.5%) hexane was purified by passing first through basic alumina activated at high temperature in nitrogen, followed by molecular sieve activated at high temperature in nitrogen.
• Polymerization grade ethylene was supplied directly in a nitrogen-jacketed line and used without further purification, and propylene was purified by passing it through activated basic alumina and molecular sieves.
• Dimethylanilinium tetrakis(perfluoroaryl)borate [DMAH] + [(C 6 F 5 ) 4 B] - was obtained from Boulder Scientific Co., Mead, Colorado.
• Propylene was measured into the reactor through a calibrated container. To ensure the reaction medium was well mixed, a flat-paddle stirrer rotating at 750 rpm was used. Polymerization was performed in 0.5 liter (continuous) Zipperclave reactor equipped with a water jacket for temperature control. The reactors were first cleaned by heating to 120°C in toluene to dissolve any polymer residues, then cooled and drained. Next, the reactor was heated using jacket water at 110°C and the reactor was purged with flowing nitrogen for a period of >30 minutes.
• Catalyst A Dimethylsilyl bis(2-methyl-indenyl) ZrMe 2
• Catalyst B Dimethylsilyl bis(indenyl)hafnium dimethyl
• DMAH-activated catalysts were used in these reactions. Each run utilized 30 mg of Catalyst A or Catalyst B (1:1.3 molar DMAH) in 100 ml toluene, preactivated 15 minutes before loading into the feed bomb for injection/metering by the HPLC pump. Hexane, propylene and ethylene feeds were premixed in an 18 liter feed tank. Ethylene concentrations were controlled by controlled addition of an ethylene partial pressure above that of the propylene/hexane mix. After ethylene addition, the feed tank was closed, then pressurized with nitrogen to 200 psig.
• a positive displacement pump was used to meter the feed into the reactor and to raise the pressure sufficiently to prevent bubbling of the reaction medium at reaction temperatures. In this way, liquid-full reaction was accomplished.
• Reactor pressure was controlled using a downstream backpressure regulator. At the highest pump setting, a residence time of approx. 2 minutes was obtained using the 0.5 liter reactor body.
• the molecular weight and MWD of the polymers were measured by a Waters 150-C ALC/GPC. Branching levels were measured by GPC/Vis and are reported as g' at each molecular weight in the GPC trace. Relating the measured g' to branched structure requires the application of Zimm-Stockmayer theory, which assumes a random distribution of branch sizes for each population of branched structures (singly, doubly, triply branched, etc.) at each molecular weight. See B.H. Zimm and W.H. Stockmayer, J. Chem. Phys. 17, 1301 (1949 ).

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• 1999
  • 1999-12-15 KR KR1020017007820A patent/KR100653018B1/ko active IP Right Grant
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